Light emitting semiconductors, such as high output light emitting diodes (LEDs), produce white light at sufficient levels so that semiconductor light sources are a suitable replacement for incandescent or gas discharge lamps to create lighting systems such as vehicular headlamps, or other light fixtures.
Such semiconductor light sources are used to construct headlamps or other fixtures which have a much longer expected operating lifetime, and which are more energy efficient, compared to headlamps employing incandescent or gas discharge light sources.
While much work has been done in the area of vehicular headlamp systems employing high output semiconductor light sources, to date the resulting designs have resulted in custom lamp fixtures which require the design or modification of the vehicle in which they are to be installed.
As is known, one of the drawbacks of using semiconductor light sources is that waste heat must be removed from operating semiconductor light sources to prevent failure and/or shortened operating lifetimes of the semiconductor junctions. Accordingly, much of the design of known lamp fixtures employing semiconductor light sources is concerned with the ability to remove such waste heat from the semiconductor light sources.
In vehicles designed for conventional incandescent or gas discharge light fixtures, the lamp fixture is typically received in a receptacle which provides little or no airflow, or other heat rejection capability, to the rear of the lamp fixture. Thus, any lamp fixture employing semiconductor light sources which is intended to replace a conventional incandescent or gas discharge light fixture must be carefully designed to provide adequate heat rejection capacity despite being installed in the conventional receptacle.
Accordingly, there exists a need to have a vehicular lighting fixture which employs semiconductor light sources, such as high output light emitting diodes, to produce desired illumination patterns for headlamps or the like which can be installed and/or retrofitted in conventional receptacles on vehicles.